The 13th Annual Regional Conference of Parades and Festivals
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Bronx, New York
6 February 2010
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Announcement of the Upcoming Regional Conference
Greetings from the Empire State of New York and Happy New Year!On behalf of the Board of Directors of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc., I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend the 13th Annual Regional Conference of Parades and Festivals to be held on Saturday, February 6, 2010. We are excited that New York was selected as the 2010 conference site and as your conference host; we look forward to welcoming your delegation to the conference.
The purpose of this annual event is to provide the most comprehensive information to all the conference participants. As in previous years, the conference will continue to bring public awareness of our Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture, history, and traditions; to educate the public through your programs activities, workshops and social events. This year, we hope to explore new methods of enhancing the administration of your individual organizations and the aim the discussions/workshops to help improve your respective cultural agenda.
The conference will take place at the Hutchinson Metro Center, located at 1200 Waters Place, Bronx, New York 10461, in the Conference Center. You can also visit their website: www.hutchmetrocenter.com for the area map and directions. The Hutchinson Metro Center is also the corporate headquarters for the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and the site contact telephone number is (718) 828-3900.
We are scheduled to begin registration and breakfast at 9:00 AM, followed by concurrent workshops, luncheon, and additional discussions throughout the day until 5:00 PM. To wrap up the conference, we have planned a two-hour reception to allow for informal networking.
Your valued participation at our conference will contribute to the success of this event. If you have any questions, or require special accommodations; please contact the conference coordinator, Ms. Maria Roman at (718) 401-0404 or Beatrice M. Caraballo, co-founder and organizer of the conference at (856) 962-6668 or (856) 366-3682 cell.
For planning purposes and to provide the building lobby with a guest-list in advance, we are requesting that each conference attendee complete the attached Conference Registration Form and return to Maria Roman at fax # 1-718-292-2350 no later than Friday, January 29, 2010. You will be contacted shortly to confirm your attendance, any logistical arrangements and/or additional information you might need regarding the conference.
In the meantime, for your convenience, we have also made arrangements for a special discounted rate for conference participants requiring overnight hotel accommodations with the following hotel listed below.
HOTEL INFORMATION:
Radisson Hotel New RochelleOne Radisson Plaza (intersects with River Street)
New Rochelle NY 10801
Reservations: (800) 395-7046 Toll-free
Local Telephone: (914) 576-3700
Fax: (914) 576-5864
Web: www.radisson.com/newrochelleny
A block of rooms are being held for our conference guests arriving on Friday, February 5, 2010 and/or checking out on Sunday, February 7, 2010. Each conference participant will be responsible for contacting the hotel directly to make his/her own reservations.
The hotel has offered our conference guests a special discounted rate of $109 per night. This rate applies to single/double occupancy and you can add $10 per additional person(s) in room.
It is understood that all conference guests will be responsible for making reservations directly with the Hotel on an individual basis. Be sure to mention that you are with the 13th Annual Regional Conference of Parades and Festivals and give the following group code: 1002PARADE.
However, keep in mind that this special rate will be available only until February 1, 2010 at which time the hotel will release the unused portion of the group room block. To ensure you have the discounted rate and guaranteed availability, room reservations must be made before February 1, 2010.
FYI:
Hotel amenities, activities, map and directions, can be viewed at their
website: www.radisson.com/newrochelleny.
Special note:
If you are interested in joining the delegation of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade during their annual press conference to be held in Puerto Rico, please save the date of Thursday, March 18, 2010. Complete details will be provided at the regional conference.Esperando darle la bienvenida a Nueva York el 6 de febrero de 2010…
Atentamente,
Madelyn Lugo
Chairperson
Board of Directors
National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc.
History of the Annual Regional Conference of Presidents
Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration and the Parada San Juan Bautista, Inc. have been organizing the Annual Regional Conference of Presidents since 1997. The first Conference was held in Trenton at the office of El Congreso. Subsequently, the National Puerto Rican Parade Day, Inc. got involved.Juan J. González, Esq., Parade Coordinator of the Parada San Juan Bautista of Camden, New Jersey and Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade along with Beatrice M. Caraballo, Founder of El Coquí del Caribe Entertainment, have been moderating the conferences since its inception. They continue to bring important topics of discussion to the conference every year.
The Parada San Juan Bautista, Inc. has kept records of the conferences. In 2000, Beatrice became very instrumental in compiling the data and distributing the information at the conferences. In 2004, Beatrice incorporated the database into the National Directory of Festivals and Parades with over 65 organizations nationwide.
The purpose of the Annual Regional Conference of Festivals and Parades is to bring public awareness of our Hispanic culture, history and traditions; to educate the public through our programs, activities, workshops and social events. This conference has helped to create networks nationwide and has helped to bring together 100 representatives from across the region.
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Respectfully,
Beatrice M. Caraballo & Juan J. González, Esq. |
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History of La Familia Hispana, Inc.
The name of the Corporation is The Hispanic Family, La Familia Hispana, Inc. The purpose of the Corporation is fostering community betterment for all of the people of Holyoke, with special emphasis on the Hispanic community and on youth, through events and programs that foster the enrichment and development of Hispanic culture and civic knowledge, including but not limited to organizing and implementing a yearly Festival de la Familia Hispana, developing a library of Hispanic literature and Hispanic films, developing a Hispanic Family Pageant, collaborating with other civic and cultural organizations, creating a charter school and helping to develop scholarship funds for Latino students; and the conducting of such other activities and programs in furtherance of such purposes as may be carried out by a corporation organized under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 180.
History of the Festival de Hall Avenue in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
The first Puerto Ricans came here in the mid 1940's and immediately they were met with hostility and very little support in helping them get accustomed to the American Way of Life. The majority were from San Sebastian and Guayanilla, both agricultural towns with no little or no jobs at the time. Most moved into the impoverished, low-income neighborhood of Hall Avenue.During the 1960's, when the City attempted to pass a loitering ordinance as a means to silence the Puerto Rican community from speaking about the poor living conditions, and poor attitudes of police officers and residents towards our community, the Puerto Rican community took to the streets in protest of the ordinance. This resulted in riots at a time when the civil rights movement was really taking hold throughout the nation.
Many of the old-timers went on to become successful business owners, judges, lawyers, doctors, etc. We are the proud home of the first Puerto Rican councilperson in the State of New Jersey, Nancy Muñiz, and at this year's festival, we will be honoring the first Puerto Rican council member, Ángel Manuel Quiñones, who was also the first Latino to hold his Real Estate License and own an Insurance Business in Middlesex County.
In 2005, the Puerto Rican community again took to the streets in protest of the City's denial of our permit to host our Annual Puerto Rican Cultural Festival. In fact, we took the City to Federal Court and we were successful in obtaining a restraining order barring the City from enforcing what we believe to be an unconstitutional City Ordinance.
Therefore, as you can see History has repeated itself. The Puerto Rican community again challenges a City Ordinance and on both occasions, the challenge came on Hall Avenue. It is a City Street/Area deeply rooted in Puerto Rican history and traditions and as such, we would like to see the name "Avenida Puerto Rico" forever placed under the street sign of Hall Avenue in honor of our history on the Avenue.
History of the Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade
In 1995, a group came together with the stated purpose of preserving the heritage, culture and history of Puerto Rico in New Jersey. Therefore, the Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade was established as the signature event around which all the other activities of the day revolved. This one-day event is an annual celebration of the past, present and future of all Puerto Ricans, keeping current the awareness and vitality of the Puerto Rican heritage and culture.
The Parade Committee is very proud of its progress in establishing this parade
as one of the largest in New Jersey. Our goal is not only to have a parade,
but also to continuously educate our community on the history, heritage,
culture, and arts not only our community on the history, heritage, culture,
and arts not only our community on the history, heritage, culture, and arts
not only of Puerto Rico, but the entire Latino community. We are very proud of
the people, businesses and corporations, who have year after year supported
this annual celebration, thereby helping to bring all cultures of our
multicultural society closer together. The Puerto Rican Parade of Atlantic
County is excited about its Ninth Annual Parade and associated activities
planned for the coming year. The Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade is a
501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
History of Nuestras Raices Delaware, Inc.
The Hispanic Festival of Wilmington Delaware has been in existence since
1977. It started as a weeklong celebration called "Semana Hispana." Councilman
Ortega, Mike Hernández and Ronald Arms among others organized the activities
for the week. The Semana Hispana consisted of a Food Festival on Market
Street, the Miss Hispanic Delaware Pageant at Saint Paul's Catholic Church,
located at 4th & Jackson Street, The Grand Ball, the 5k run and the Puerto
Rican Parade on 4th Street.
Today, the Hispanic Festival has become a much-anticipated community tradition
and a highlight of the Hispanic Heritage Month. The Hispanic Festival features
educational & cultural events, bringing talents from across the nation to
Delaware to celebrate the diverse Hispanic traditions through music, dance,
art, food and family activities. It educates the members of the Delaware
community about the rich heritage of Hispanic culture and the contributions
Hispanics have made to our society.
History of the
Puerto Rican Parade and Cultural Organization of Northwest Indiana, Inc.
The Puerto Rican Parade and Cultural Organization of Northwest Indiana,
Inc. was established in 1996. We took over continuing the event and venues of
the Puerto Rican Parade Committee of N.W. Indiana, Inc., which existed from
1981 to 1996. By doing so, we do not lose all of the traditions that became
established by our founding fathers in 1981. We are now celebrating our 27th
Annual Anniversary of the Puerto Rican Culture in Northwest Indiana, the
surrounding suburbs and the Chicago Metropolitan Area in this fiscal year.
History of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc.
The first New York Puerto Rican Day Parade was held in "El Barrio" in
Manhattan. Amongst its founders were; José "Chuito" Caballero, Peter Ortiz,
Luisa Quintero, Victor López, Luis Amando Feliciano, Vicente Hernández,
Ángel M. Arroyo, Atanacio Rivera Feliciano, y Amalio Maisanave Ríos. Its
first President was Victor López and it was coordinated by José
Caballero. In 1995 we felt that it was time to expand this event to the
national scene, reminding Puerto Ricans throughout the country of their
heritage and fostering the positive image of our people. An example of the
national interest in this expansion effort is the participation of delegations
from thirty-one states, including Alaska and Hawaii in the 1999 Parade.
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is the successor to the New York Puerto Rican Day Parade, an event that operated for thirty-eight (38) consecutive years, enhancing the pride of the Puerto Rican people and promoting their contributions to the United States.
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1995, has been created to provide Puerto Ricans throughout the United States and all its possessions with a vehicle for the promotion of our people and their culture in a national setting. Its founding members were; Dr. Ramón S. Vélez, Ralph Morales, María Román and Madelyn Lugo.
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc. was established to create a national awareness and appreciation of Puerto Rican culture and its contribution to the culture and society of the United States. In addition, it promotes the study, improvement, and/or advancement of Puerto Rican culture and the arts by encouraging, promoting, coordinating, developing, managing and participating in various cultural events, including musical productions, plays art exhibits, and the conduct of parades in the City of New York and throughout the United States.
Our mission is to enhance the self-esteem of our people and use their pride to promoted economic development, education, cultural recognition, and advancement. We know that we must emphasize the achievements made by thousands of Puerto Ricans in business, government, and industry to encourage our youth to achieve their dreams and ambitions through education and hard work.
The Parade, televised for three hours, achieves the highest Nielsen rating for stations in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area. More than 80,000 participants marched with delegations from the towns of Puerto Rico and various states across the nation.
The Parade is attended by an average of more than 2 million people along its route making it one of the largest outdoor events in the United States. The Parade is shown on New York Metropolitan area Spanish television stations and via satellite, throughout the world, making it a truly international event.
The Parade up Fifth Avenue, while certainly the most visible aspect of the celebration of the culture and heritage of the Puerto Rican People, is not the only event associated with The National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc.'s activities. More than 10,000 people each year attend a variety of Parade related award ceremonies, banquets and cultural events.
At the same time, by educating our future Puerto Rican generations in the United States, about their history we will be promoting pride in our roots, culture, and traditions and further promote the empowerment in leadership and self-esteem.
| Last update: 4 March 2008 | NHHO DIRECTORY |
